Signaling apparatus for vehicles.



'W. D. FAIRFAX.

SIGNALING APPARATUS roRvEmms.

APPLICATION HLE D SEPT. 18. 191 7.

Patented July 16,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I W. D. FAIRFAX. SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. 19:7.

1 72,408; Patented Jul 16, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. AV/[A 7.0,? Waiter-J7. .Fazrfw,

STATES-PATENT OFFICE, Ru or-mmws'rnn, o i

*Toiqll it mag concern it known that 'I', WAL R FAIRFAX, of the United, States, residin at I B BWsten'inthe county of Stark and. tate .,of1-Qhio, have invented a new and Juseful Signaling Apparatusfor Vehicles', of which the'followmg is a specification. p

" vention relates to signal devlces for vehicles and has for its object to provide a warning to vehicles-approachin the rearfof the vehiclecarrying said signa 1 device that.

' A1 further object is. to provide'a signal adapted-to be operated as the brake is applied-by the driver of the vehicle.

A Still in ther object is to provide a signal will catch the eye at night as well as in the day time, this being attained by a mechanismforililuminating the signal tt-the timeof operat on.

Inthe accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an auton1o bile with parts broken away and my imfproved signal applied thereto.

Fig. 2 1s arear elevation of an automobile showing the preferred location of my device on the rear thereof.

Fig, 3 is a front elevation of the device partly in section with parts broken away.

. Fig. dis an end view of the same. Corresponding numerals of reference indicate similar parts. in the drawings, in

' -1- represents the floor boards of the ordi nary construction, of an automobile and 2 the-pedal: designed to operate the brake when depressed by the operator. The brake mechanism can beofany well known type,

but for purposes of illustration I have shown 1 a brake rod 3 connected at its forward end release and sprin out of engagement with the brake drum w en pressure on the pedal to the brake operating edal and as rear end to a brake of t e springmaterlal type which is designed to' be closed andbrought into engagement with the brake drum on the rear wheels when pressure is exerted upon the operating pedal 2, and to 2 is removed. Secured to the brake rod 3, at a point slightly rearward of the operatam i rwm mm Patented July 16, 1918. aa u ti n filed septexaberla, 1917.; Serial a. 192,017.

g Pe al 2 'is a collar 4 carrying an upwardly pro ect ng arm 5. To the upper end of the said arm 5 is connected the front'end of the al operating cable 6 which passes rearwar ly and over a guide pulley-7 locatedbeneath the signal device. .The rear posite end of 'the lever 8 is fastened .the sig-,

. nal placard '11 on which .is located any 'suit-.

able warning such as theword Stop. A bracket 12projects'upwa1dly from one end of the rearmost plate 10 and has mounted thereon and insulated therefrom the ordinary tail lamp 13 carried upon the rear of motor vehicles and the like. This lamp can be of any well known construction, but preferably has an opening pointed rearwardly covered by a red'lens, and another opening upon the side next to the signal device. covered by a clear glass to allow the bright light from theeleetric globe to shine' upon the signal.

The plates 10 are spaced apart at one end by the spacing collars 14 and at their opposite ends by the strap member 15 on which is carried the bracket 16. Slidab1y mounted within the'bracket 16 and projecting therefrom at eitherend is a rod 17 having upon its inner end a head 18. A coiled spring 19 is interposed between the head 18 and the bracket 16. Screw threaded upon the oppo- Site end of the shaft 17 is 'a lug-20 which is adapted to contact with an arm 21 depending from the aforesaid tail lamp, the spring 19 being designed to normally hold the lug out of engagement with the arm 21. The head 18 lies in the same plane as the lever 8 which carries the signal. A bolt 22 having a vulcanized fibe'r collar is'located between the'plates 10 and 10 at a point intermediate the ends of the lever 8 and serves to act as a stop for the said lever when it falls into in operative-position, "The spacingcollars 14 serted from the rear of the rear plate 10 "through the spacing collars. through the front'plate 10 and project 'a proper dis-- tance to receive washers 31.v Similar bolts 32 are inserted in the same manner in the opposite end'and pass through the strap member located between the plates. The bolts 82 also carry washers and the two bolts 30 and'the two bolts .32 aread'apt'e'd to I 3% in position. Itwill benoted from Figs.

2 and 3 that the tail lamp 13 is tilted in such a way that the raysof light coming from the side of the lamp next the signal device will fall upon the signal when it is in raised position and will also illuminate the license tag carried on the rear of the signal device. The lamp 13 is connected in, the-lighting circuit by the usual means andtherefore a very brief explanation is thought sufficient. As is well known the usual practice in W11- ing the lighting systems of the automobile is to carry a single. .wire to the lamp and ground the same on the frame-work of the automobile or other metal part. which will convey the current to the'same. As hereinbefore stated the lamp is insulated from the supporting bracket 12. The arm '21, however, is designed to form a conductor from the lamp to'the lug 20, thereby serving to ground the current when the lug 20 and the arm 21 engage.

Referring *more specifically to Fig. 1.,

Mounted upon the floor board and extending therethrough and within easy reach of the heel of the operator is a short rod 24c having a head 25 upon its upper end and a coiled spring 23 inserted'between the head 25 and ,thefioor boards of the vehicle tonormally hold the rod 24: in raised position. The

.lower end of said rod 24 is bifurcated and straddles the operating cable 6, suitable rollers 26 carried'by a supporting bracket upon theaunder side of thefloor boards, are,

located on either side of the rod 21 and are adapted to act as guides for the cable 6.

The operation of the signal will be as follows: When the driver desires to stop the vehicle be naturally presses the brake pedal I 2 for the purpose of causing the brakes to engage the brake drums upon the rear wheels. As is readily seen the brake rod 3 moves forward when the pedal is depressed, carrying the arm 5 which is secured to'it, forward also, thereby exerting a pull upon the cable 6 which in turn exerts a downward pull upon one end of the lever 8' causing the opposite end carrying the placard 11 to rise to substantially a vertical position, elevating the placard 111 above the forward plate 10 to aposition where it will attract the attention and be observed by the.driver of any vehicle or vehicles following. The levu 8 will contact with the head 181upon the rod 17 as it swings into the position to signal,

glass upon the side of the lamp falling uponthe placard 11 which has mow come to rest. lVhen the driver releases the brake pedal 2 allowing the brake rod 3 to return to normal position itheicable 6 is naturally released allowing theplaca'rd ll todrop out of sight between the plates 10 and 10'.

- 'Should the driver of the vehicle at any time desireto :operate the signal without operating the: brake on the vehicle he may do sowby pressing with hisfoot upon the head 25 of'the rod 24, thereby, forcing the cable 6 downwardly between the rollers 26 and causing a 'pull to be exerted upon the lever 8 which will raise it in position to signal The coiled spring inserted between the head 25 and the floor boards'willlf tithe rod 24, thereby,-releasing thef-ca .hen

the foot of the driver is moved fromrtl'le head 25 of the rod.

In some localities ordinances gdverning the operation of vehicles require that a light be kept burning on the rear of the vehicle between the hours of sun-set and sun-rise,

and in such localities the user of my device may either carry aseparate taillamp to. comply with the law or by removing the insulation between the tail lamp and the bracket 12 cause the lamp to burn at all times when the current is thrown into the circuit. The shaft 17 under the. tension of the spring 19 serves another purpose than the one hereinbefore pointed vout in that the head 18 of the shaft being in engagement with the lever 8 when the same is in raised position will cause the said lever to be forced past vertical center when thepull on the the lever to fall by gravity to the position shown in full lines Fig. 3.

Although the drawings and above specification. disclose the best mode in which I have contemplated embodying my invention I desire to be not limited to the details of such disclosure, for, in the further practical .applicat on'o'f-my invention, many changes 110 cable 6 is removed and in so doing will allow said foot pedal in raised position, a pair of ried upon said vehicle, the said rollers being rollers carried by said foot pedal beneath arranged to exert a pull upon the said cable said floor, a flexible cable extending over when the foot pedal is depressed and. tom and engaging said rollers, said cable being move the signal into exposed position. secured at one extremity to the brake oper- In testimony that I claim the above I have ating rod of the vehicle, and at the oppohereunto subscribed my name.

site extremity to a pivoted signal arm car- WALTER D. FAIRFAX. 

